"Koo In-mo Officially Announces Candidacy for Third Term as Geochang County Mayor in 9th Direct Election"

Emphasizing the “Completion Phase” Based on Achievements of the 7th and 8th Terms
Highlighting Administrative Continuity with 32 Core Strategic Projects

Koo In-mo, a preliminary candidate for mayor of Geochang County, officially announced his candidacy for the 9th term of the direct election at a press conference held in front of Geochang County Office on March 26, after completing his preliminary candidate registration with the Geochang County Election Commission. The event drew a large crowd of supporters, with approximately 500 people in attendance, demonstrating a strong show of support.

In his announcement, Koo described the past eight years as "a period devoted solely to the residents, during which I resolved local conflicts and laid the foundation for the future." He stated, "Now, it is time to complete Geochang’s stature and competitiveness on the basis of those achievements."

He highlighted the major achievements of the 7th term, including resolving conflicts over the construction of the Geochang Detention Center, securing the site for the branch office and sub-office, and putting an end to the trademark dispute over the Geochang International Theatre Festival, emphasizing that "long-standing local issues were directly addressed." Regarding the response to COVID-19, he evaluated, "We mobilized all administrative capabilities to protect the lives and property of residents, creating a model case in crisis management."

Photo of Goo Inmo, pre-candidate for Mayor of Geochang County in the 9th local election, at the press conference venue

He underscored even stronger achievements during the 8th term. Koo mentioned regaining the top population ranking among counties in South Gyeongsang Province, surpassing the national average total fertility rate by more than 20 percent for three consecutive years, and achieving the distinction of being the only county nationwide recognized as an "elderly, youth, and women-friendly city." He stressed, "Geochang has proven itself as a reverse-growth model amid the crisis of regional extinction." He also noted that Geochang’s population response strategy received international recognition through policy presentations at the invitation of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The core of this campaign announcement is 32 key strategic projects aimed at "completing the era of resident happiness." Koo divided these into 16 hardware and 16 software projects, emphasizing the feasibility of policy implementation.

He first proposed establishing a "Geochang-style happiness model" tailored to all stages of life. This life-cycle policy system includes nurturing talent among children and youth, strengthening the foundation for youth settlement, boosting vitality for the middle-aged, and advancing the old-age security system.

In terms of spatial strategy, he put forward the "Geochang’s 50-Year Future Blueprint." The plan is to divide Geochang-eup into north and south, with the northern area becoming a hub for history, culture, economy, and sports, and the southern area being reorganized as a center for healthcare, transportation, and agriculture. Additionally, the 11 township areas would be developed under specialized strategies for four regions—east, west, south, and north.

By region, the plan is to reposition the northern area as a center for forest leisure and extreme experiences, the western area for theater and K-beauty industries, the southern area for drone, robotics, and advanced manufacturing industries, and the eastern area as a hub for energy and healing tourism.

The detailed core initiatives have also been reorganized around large-scale projects. Key examples include attracting global elevator anchor companies, establishing a super-regional transportation hub, completing a medical welfare town, constructing and relocating the Red Cross Hospital, building a pumped-storage power plant, elevating Changpowon to national garden status, creating a 236-kilometer Sanmaru Forest Trail, developing a hot spring resort, and attracting seven strategic public institutions.

Policies closely linked to daily life will also be pursued. These include the three major empowerment projects for women in agriculture, a pilot program for basic income in rural areas, a shared profit model for renewable energy, child growth safety insurance, support for socially withdrawn youth, expansion of sports infrastructure for people with disabilities, and support for dementia nursing insurance premiums—all aimed at strengthening the social safety net.

Koo stated, "If the past eight years were about establishing Geochang’s foundation, the next four years will be the decisive period to complete its competitiveness and stature." He emphasized, "The residents’ choice will be the watershed that determines Geochang’s future for the next 50 years."

Attendees at the event also voiced their support. One participant commented, "His leadership, which has changed the trajectory of Geochang’s development, has already been proven." Another attendee shared, "Expectations for his third-term challenge are spreading throughout the region."

Preliminary candidate Koo In-mo appealed for support, pledging, "I will surely complete Geochang as a city where residents’ daily lives are filled with happiness, combining sustainable growth with quality of life."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.